This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 196 25 002.1 filed in Germany on Jun. 22, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a vehicle communications system and method with a central computer for performing data networking applications, with individual devices for transmission, reception, recording and/or processing of data associated with these applications and with one or more data transmission channels with corresponding interfaces by which the individual devices can be connected with a central computer.
The use of data networking systems, in other words electronic data transmission systems that use telecommunications services, are becoming increasingly important, including in the area of vehicle technology. Thus for example telecommunications services are already employed in vehicles that have permitted new functions in the areas of traffic control, safety, dynamic navigation aids, and the "mobile office."
Conventional data networking systems of this kind consist of an independent computer with interfaces to a special radio device, for example a GSM or Modacom device, and/or to a positioning receiver such as a GPS receiver. The telecommunications devices currently available on the market basically differ in terms of interface protocol. Although efforts have been made at standardization, interface protocols differ from one another depending on the manufacturer of the device, the version, the model, and the technology, so that thus far there have been only individual solutions with precisely defined components and interfaces. Integration of several data networking functions into a vehicle has therefore until now taken the form of isolated solutions separate from one another since the associated radio devices and peripherals have no network interfaces that would allow them to be used in a multifunctional fashion for several different applications. Such an architecture of a vehicle communications system requires constant maintenance of the system for making changes. The associated organizational and logistic expense results in a very limited ability of such vehicle communications systems to react to data networking functions and components as they are introduced to the market.
A vehicle communications system of the type generally described above is disclosed for example in German Patent Document DE 44 03 712 A1 in the form of an on-board computer that can be removed from the vehicle, said computer including control functions for vehicle navigation, traffic radio, and a telephone system.
German patent DE 41 10 372 C2 describes a multiplex transmission system for a vehicle that incorporates two networks and a gateway network node through which data can be transmitted between the networks.
A basic problem with conventional vehicle communications systems of the type generally described above results from the fact that the driver units for the individual devices and the interfaces, in other words the device and interface gateways, form inseparable units with the respective interfaces that are provided for connecting the individual devices in question. The individual devices are addressed by the required application by means of the computer through the unalterably set architecture of the respective interfaces and device gateways and associated interfaces. A flexible control of the individual devices through another interface or replacement of one individual device by a unit with the same function but of a different type is not possible without considerable adaptation expense since for this purpose, not only must the affected interfaces and device gateways be adapted, in other words replaced by different versions, but because of this measure, changes are also required in the computer itself and/or the application for adaptation to altered data formats, etc. A conventional system of this kind is described in general terms in the article by A. Kirson, ATIS--A Modular Approach, IEEE Plans '92 Position Location and Navigation Symposium, Jan. 1, 1992, page 528, wherein route planning, route guidance, access to databases, and user interface functions are mentioned as applications. German Patent Document DE 42 18 804 A1 shows a system that has a certain amount of flexibility as far as display of vehicle information is concerned, for which purpose an information management system is provided by which information is displayed in a motor vehicle, flexibly and adapted to individual requirements, prepared, and stored, with the system having to be designed so that it is open to future requirements and is therefore easily expanded.
A goal of the present invention is to provide a vehicle communications system which offers increased flexibility in implementing data networking applications at relatively low expense.
This and other goals have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a vehicle communications system, comprising: a central computer which performs data networking applications; a plurality of individual devices for transmitting, receiving, recording, and/or processing data associated with the data networking applications; at least one data transmission channel with associated interfaces by which the individual devices can be connected with the central vehicle computer; and an adaptive application control separate from the data networking applications which communicates with the data networking applications through a uniform data format that is independent of the interfaces and the individual devices, the application control selecting flexibly and on the basis of function, the individual devices and the interfaces required for the individual data networking applications, the application control controlling the necessary data transmission processes, for which purpose the application control includes device gateways and interface gateways separate from the device gateways, which gateways the application control selects independently of one another, flexibly and on the basis of function, in order to control the respective individual devices through the respective interfaces.
This and other goals have also been achieved according to the present invention by providing a method of controlling a vehicle communications system having a central computer which performs data networking applications; a plurality of individual devices for transmitting, receiving, recording, and/or processing data associated with the data networking applications; at least one data transmission channel with associated interfaces by which the individual devices can be connected with the central vehicle computer; and an adaptive application control separate from the data networking applications, the application control including device gateways and interface gateways separate from the device gateways, said method comprising: communicating with the data networking applications via said adaptive application control through a uniform data format that is independent of the interfaces and the individual devices; selecting flexibly and on the basis of function the individual devices and the interfaces required for the individual data networking applications via said adaptive application control; and independently selecting said gateways flexibly and on the basis of function via said application control, in order to control the respective individual devices through the respective interfaces.
According to the present invention, the individual devices for transmitting, receiving, recording, and/or processing the data associated with the data networking applications are not permanently associated with an individual data networking application as an isolated solution, but this arrangement is designed to be flexible. An adaptive application control that can be integrated into the central computer or located externally with respect to the central computer selects the necessary individual devices on the basis of their function for performing an individual application and controls the required data transmission processes. This permits a modular system design in which individual devices from different manufacturers can be connected to one or more suitable interfaces of the central computer.
Each individual device can be addressed on the basis of its function, in other words for fulfilling a specific function associated with it, such as position determination for example. When necessary, the individual device can fulfill this function not only for a specific data networking application but for every such application for whose performance this function is required. Redundancy to perform a specific function for several data networking applications can therefore be avoided when necessary. Conversely, a function such as vehicle position determination for example can be designed with redundancy if required, with the corresponding information being made available at different quality levels from several position determination channels independently of one another.
In addition, the vehicle communications system can be easily expanded with new individual devices and/or data networking applications without the already existing system design having to be changed. With device and interface gateways provided for the purpose, in other words in software- or hardware-based driver units for the interfaces and the individual devices connected to them, the adaptive application control is able to transform incoming data into the particular type of data format required at the output so that the individual devices required for an individual application can be controlled flexibly through the corresponding interfaces. The application control is then able to select the required suitable device and interface gateways flexibly and on the basis of function, from all of the gateways.
According to certain preferred embodiments, at least one of a CAN, a RS232, a PCMCIA, a D2B, and an IR interface is provided for connecting the individual devices to the central computer.
According to certain preferred embodiments, the individual devices comprise at least one of a GPS receiver, a PDA unit, a GSM unit, a CD-ROM unit, and an RDS-TMC unit.
According to certain preferred embodiments, the data networking applications comprise at least one of a fleet management application, a route planning application, a remote diagnosis application, an antitheft protection application, and an electronic data communications application.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.